Bridgton Tops Yale JVs 21-6

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Bridgton Academy broke open a 7-6 game with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns, handing Yale's junior varsity football team a 21-6 loss Sunday afternoon at Frank Field. Freshman defensive back Max Napolitano had a pair of interceptions, and freshman quarterback John Whitelaw and freshman H-back Beau Palin combined for Yale's lone touchdown.

The Bulldogs were hurt by a series of injuries to their running backs, as starting tailback Javi Sosa and his backup, freshman Tate Harshbarger, both were injured in the first half. Freshman wide receiver Brandis Yarrington then came on to fill in at that spot, breaking off several nice runs, but he got injured in the third quarter. Freshman quarterback Kerr Taubler saw time as a running back, and Palin took over the running duties for most of the second half.

After Bridgton scored a touchdown on its opening drive, the next Wolverine possession ended with sophomore defensive back Scott Williams picking off a tipped pass. Williams' interception set the Yale offense up at the Bridgton eight, but the Bulldogs fumbled the ball away there.

Yale's next drive went for 57 yards, including a 14-yard run by Harshbarger and a 20-yard pass from Whitelaw to freshman tight end Michael Leunen. Whitelaw then used play action to free up Palin for a 12-yard touchdown at 2:28 of the first quarter. Yale's attempt at running in the two-point conversion came up short.

The Bulldogs drove to the Wolverine 15 early in the second quarter but fumbled. Their next best chance to score came when sophomore linebacker Brian Leffler just missed an interception deep in Bridgton territory with an open field in front of him. The Wolverines' lead was 7-6 at halftime.

After Bridgton ran in another touchdown three plays into the second half, an interception gave the Wolverines the ball right back at the Yale four. But Napolitano intercepted a pass in the end zone to keep Yale within eight.

Bridgton drove 59 yards for another rushing touchdown midway through the third quarter, going up 21-6 at the 6:58 mark.

Yale drove from its own two to the Bridgton two at the start of the fourth quarter, including a 20-yard pass from freshman quarterback Henry Furman to Leunen. But a fourth-and-one run came up short, and while both of Yale's next two drives got inside the 10 the Elis could not come away with any points.